High Noon
by Poa
Summary: Charah one-shot. Showdown at the Orange Orange: Who has the faster draw?


I'm sending a big thank you to my beta reader, anon4utu, for his advice, his encouragement, and most of all, for his confidence in me.

High Noon

Sarah frowned at the clock on the wall. Twenty minutes. He was going to cross the lot and enter the store. Everyday for a week now. High noon. It was like being transported into the middle of a John Wayne Western. A showdown. The dusty street lined with clapboard buildings. Old women closing the shutters on their windows. Men lounging in the shadows, watching with crumpled cigarettes dangling between their lips. Sarah rubbed her palms on the front of her pants. Sixteen minutes.

This was more nerve-wracking than facing a squadron of terrorist spies in Bosnia. Two years ago, she would have never imagined herself in such a predicament. He is only a man, after all. She had dealt with several men throughout her life. For the most part, they offered a fleeting moment of pleasant distraction. And then there was Bryce. More than fleeting, but less than permanent. And very confusing. She swore to herself that it wouldn't happen again, that it _couldn't_ happen again. And yet. She glanced at the clock. _Damn_. Thirteen minutes.

She picked up a towel and wiped down the clean countertop. Her jaw ached, and she stretched open her mouth wide for a moment, trying to relieve the tension. Unbidden, she saw him in her mind's eye: disheveled brown curls, a goofy grin, a tall frame, and strong hands. She smiled. She wouldn't have guessed that his hands could be so soft and delicate, and yet possess such strength. On the rare occasion when he had held her close, she had wondered if she'd be able to break free from his grip.

She shivered suddenly, and her hand slipped along the counter, sending a jar of sprinkles flying across the store. It smacked against the wall, the plastic lid fell off, and the colored confectionaries littered the floor like a shattered rainbow.

_Get it together_, she scolded herself angrily. She was starting to act like a love-sick teenager waiting for a prom date. Wait. Where did that thought come from? _Love-sick?_ She wasn't thinking about love. She never had, not even with Bryce. She grabbed a broom and dustpan from the cleaning closet and began to round up the sprinkles. _Relax_, she told herself, shaking her head. It was a common saying, that's all. Nothing to it. And yet. She sighed. Eight minutes.

Suddenly, the freezer door burst open, and as she turned to face it, the dustpan caught on the edge of the counter and flipped upward—a shower of sprinkles landed on the countertop and floor. She tightened her grip on the handle of the dustpan and threw it forcefully at the intruder.

Casey caught it deftly with one hand and raised his eyebrows. "Bad day at the Orange Orange, Walker?" he asked, tossing the dustpan to the floor.

She threw up her arms. "Casey!"

He folded his arms across his chest and smirked.

Sarah stared at him. "You're lucky I was sweeping and not chopping," she said pointedly.

His smirk faded and he nodded his head reluctantly. "Agreed."

"What are you doing slinking around the tunnels anyhow? Aren't you scheduled to work until six tonight?" She grabbed the broom again, surveyed the mess, and then just tossed it back into the closet.

"Beckman called. Tomorrow's mission has been scrubbed." He closed the freezer door and walked behind the counter to the soft serve machine. "Which means that we've got a free weekend."

"And?" she asked.

"And I was thinking that I might have some plans, if you can handle watching Chuck on your own." He filled a paper cup with some frozen yogurt and turned to face her, leaning against the counter.

"Of course I can handle Chuck," she snapped.

Casey lifted a spoonful of the frozen treat and paused. "You know," he began, tilting his head to one side. "Lately, Chuck tends to disappear from the Buy More right around this time." He inserted the spoon upside down into his mouth.

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "And your point would be?"

He slowly pulled the spoon from his mouth. "No point. Just an observation." He stepped past her sideways as he made his way out from behind the counter to the front of the store. "Thanks for babysitting Chuck," he said, exiting the store into the sunny haze outside.

Sarah watched him for a moment. In the past, his comments were sharp jabs intended to humiliate Chuck and to infuriate her. But lately, he had become more cryptic, and she couldn't decide if he was trying to be helpful, or if he was simply storing up for a rainy day. She shook her head and looked up at the clock. Noon. _High noon_.

Sarah walked over to the mirror above the sink, examined her image, and frowned. Taking a deep breath, she removed her ponytail holder and shook her blonde hair free. Then she reached into her pocket and withdrew a tube of lip gloss, applying it with practiced ease. She smoothed her uniform and stood behind the counter, waiting. One minute. Two minutes.

Five minutes. _Where the heck is he?_

She stepped over to the register and pressed a few keys to bring up the Buy More monitor feeds. Just as she did so, the front door swung open, and he entered. Her breath caught for a moment. Instead of his work uniform, he was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. _God, he looks great in those jeans_, she thought.

"Hey Sarah," Chuck said with a cautious smile. He flipped the open sign to closed and stood just in front of the door, hands at his sides.

Sarah glanced at the clock and raised her eyebrows. "You're late." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Casey needed help moving a television."

_Casey_, she thought. _He delayed Chuck on purpose_. She made a mental note to pay him back for it.

"Did Casey leave some C-4 in the sprinkles container?" he asked, looking at the mess on the floor.

She narrowed her eyes and stared at him.

He straightened his shoulders and stared back at her.

_This is the part where the tumbleweed blows across the street_, thought Sarah. She unfolded her arms, letting them dangle at her sides.

Chuck cleared his throat. "So, I hear the mission is off the table for this weekend."

She nodded her head slowly. "Chuck…"

"Sarah."

She moved around the counter and stood a few feet from him. "Chuck." Her tone was serious.

"Sarah," he repeated in a similar tone. He took a step toward her.

Sarah raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. Her fingers twitched at her sides.

His eyes flicked to her hands and back to her face. He smiled slightly.

Sarah took a few steps forward and Chuck's eyes widened. He started to take a step back, but then reconsidered. He spread his feet slightly apart and licked his lips.

She stopped just in front of him so that only a foot of space separated them. She met his eyes. _I feel transparent when he looks at me like that_, she thought. It was as if he knew all her secrets. And loved her regardless. _Not love_, she told herself quickly. And yet. Her eyes slipped away from his gaze.

"We're leaving now," he said.

"Leaving?" she asked, suddenly feeling unbalanced. She looked up at him. "Where are we going?"

"A place," he replied. His brown eyes crinkled with amusement.

"A place?" she asked, realizing that she must sound ridiculous.

Chuck's expression became serious again. "I got us a place for the weekend."

"For the weekend?" _Damn, I've got to stop repeating everything_, she thought. All week, Chuck had been coming to the store, dropping hints. 'We need to spend more time together,' he had said. She had thought he wanted another date, and although she had some reservations about it, she was warming up to the idea. But a _weekend?_ At some _place?_

"Look, Chuck. I think. . ."

"No Sarah. That would be a mistake. Don't think. "

He stepped close to her and she raised up her hand. He took her hand in his and pulled it to his chest as he leaned in to one side of her. She could feel the warmth of his breath and the gentle brushing of his lips against her ear as he spoke softly. "Come away with me, Sarah. Don't think about it. Just come."

"But," she began.

He pressed two of his fingers to her lips, and his touch sent a thrilling heat throughout her body. Her heart quickened, and suddenly she realized she was holding her breath; she let it out slowly. She stared into his eyes and he smiled at her.

_I shouldn't even be considering this_, she thought. And yet.

He turned then, still holding her hand, and she followed him out into the bright afternoon.

The End


End file.
